Will alcohol affect a drug test?

There are a few different types of drug tests that are performed as a pre-employment process or to keep government benefits. The first form of a drug test is done as a urinalysis. The urinalysis shows what has been in your system within the last few days, although it can detect certain drugs, such as marijuana months after exposure.

With a urinalysis, alcohol will show up in the test results, but the majority of companies will not count alcohol consumption against you. Another form of a drug test is done by taking a section of hair and testing the molecules. The hair absorbs any substances entered into your body, but this form of test is used to check for drugs and alcohol will not appear in the results.